Emergency management
About The Emergency Management functions that is one of seven primary plans involved with the Environment of Care. The Emergency Preparedness Plan is designed in order to establish procedures by which the institution can respond in an informed and organized manner to any situation or event that may occur, which has the potential to disrupt normal activities. These events can be either internal or external, and include natural disasters, severe weather, industrial accidents, utility systems failures, or weapon of mass destruction incidents. The plan is based on a hazard vulnerability analysis, which is evaluated and up.dated annually. This plan is designed to be a general guideline for responsibilities and duties to be implemented by the institution in the event of a catastrophe. The four phases of emergency management are: *'Mitigation'. Mitigation is the actions taken to lessen the severity and impact emergency situations would have on routine operations. *'Preparedness'. Preparedness includes all activities undertaken to ensure facilities have the necessary resources available to effectively respond to an incident. *'Response'. Response activities are the actions undertaken during actual emergencies or simulated events (drills). *'Recovery'. Recovery activities are the actions that are taken to return the facility to normal operations. Plans that are developed for external and internal emergency situations are included as tabbed annexes: 1. Bioterrorism 2. Bomb Threat 3. Civil Disturbance 4. Communications Failure 5. Electrical Power Failure 6. Natural Disasters Healthcare Facilities are expected to develop and maintain an emergency plan, such a current phone recall list. A Comprehensive Emergency Management Plan (CEMP) is prepared and updated annually. Each year, these disaster plans should be submitted, reviewed, and approved by the Authorities Having Jurisdiction (e.g. Fire Chief, Safety Officer, etc....) Checklist An emergency management checklist for healthcare facilities should include the emergency management principles of prevention, preparedness, quick response, and recovery actions. Plans should take into account such factors as the physical infrastructure of facilities, coordinated organizational structures and synchronization of teams, comprehensive account of all possible hazards, human resources, risk analysis of known hazards within your area, flexible and trained professionals,and continuous active telecommunications. Training The Emergency Management Institute (EMI) serves as the national focal point for the development and delivery of emergency management training to enhance the capabilities of federal, state, local, and tribal government officials, volunteer organizations, and the public and private sectors to minimize the impact of disasters. The author recommend the following EMI coursesFederal Emergency Management Agency. Training Programs. 2 Feb 2012|FEMA *IS-100.HCb - Introduction to the Incident Command System (ICS 100) for Healthcare/Hospitals. *IS-704 NIMS Communications and Information Management. *IS-100.b - Introduction to Incident Command System, ICS-100 *IS-35.12 - FEMA Safety Orientation 2012 There are more courses but this should get you started in your new role as an emergency disaster and preparedness manager. Reference Links *Federal Emergency Management Agency(FEMA) *Emergency Management Institute (EMI) *Center for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC) *Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) *NOAA Hurricane Center *ShakeOut Earthquake Drills *Air Force BE READY Video Category:Facilities Engineering Category:EM